Archives for June 2011

June 30, 2011

Pro Golfer Smoked Pot During Tournaments: Robert Garrigus, the PGA Tour golfer who finished third at the U.S. Open, told Golf Digest he used to smoke marijuana during tournaments. "There were plenty of guys on the Nationwide Tour who smoked in the middle of the round," Garrigus said. "We always talked about it. You could go in the Porta John and take your drags. I had a very high tolerance, and I didn't know that it wasn't helping me," he says. "All you're thinking is that it feels good, so it must be good for what you're doing. It wasn't until I quit that I realized how stupid it was."

posted by rcade to golf at 02:35 PM - 9 comments

Ricky Vaughn Did Steroids: Baseball's steroid scandal has claimed another great from the 1980s. Pitcher Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn was on performance enhancing drugs when he won the one-game playoff against the New York Yankees in the 1989 film Major League, Charlie Sheen told SI. "Let's just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit. It was the only time I ever did steroids," he said. "I did it for like six or eight weeks. You can print this, I don't give a f---. My fastball went from 79 to like 85. ... I think it led to my arm problems because it doesn't enhance the strength of the tendons and ligaments, it just makes the muscles bigger."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:37 PM - 16 comments

June 29, 2011

June 28, 2011

N.C. State Star Lorenzo Charles Dies in Car Crash: Lorenzo Charles, the North Carolina State player who scored the dunk that won the 1983 NCAA basketball championship, died in a bus wreck on Interstate 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Monday. Charles, who was drafted in the NBA but played just one season, had been driving for a charter bus service for 10 years.

posted by rcade to basketball at 01:23 PM - 2 comments

Dolphins Linebacker: I Sold Jerseys in College: Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder said on his radio show that he "hypothetically" sold his jerseys while playing college football for the Florida Gators. "I'll say hypothetically I don't have any more of my Florida jerseys," Crowder said Sunday. "There were some Jacksonville businessmen that really hypothetically liked my play."

posted by rcade to football at 01:11 PM - 10 comments

June 27, 2011

Hard Lessons: It's time for the USMNT and its fans to grow up and realize that progress is not measured by narrow victories over Central American countries or avoiding embarrassment at the World Cup. At Grantland, Bill Barnwell (late of Football Outsiders) proposes a different approach for the U.S. Men's National Team.

posted by holden to soccer at 04:43 PM - 11 comments

Dodgers File for Bankruptcy: The Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection, blaming Major League Baseball for refusing to approve a $3 billion, 17-year television deal with Fox Network to give the team an injection of cash. Owner Frank McCourt has been struggling to meet payroll and other commitments because of heavy debt and a bitter divorce with his former wife Jamie.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:02 AM - 10 comments

Argentine Soccer Giants Relegated: For the first time in their storied 110-year history, the Argentine soccer team River Plate has been relegated from the country's top division. They lost a promotion-relegation playoff against Belgrano de Cordoba in Buenos Aires. Despite the presence of 2,200 police at the match, violence erupted in the stands and spread into the streets, leaving 68 people injured, 50 arrested and 15 vehicles destroyed. The 3,000 traveling Cordoba fans were not able to leave the stadium for two hours.

posted by etagloh to soccer at 09:00 AM - 3 comments

June 26, 2011

Women's World Cup Kicks Off in Germany: The Women's World Cup begins Sunday with France vs. Nigeria and host nation Germany vs. Canada. The U.S. enters the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world, but Germany is the favorite to hoist the hardware. The U.S. opens against North Korea Tuesday.

posted by rcade to soccer at 11:48 AM - 4 comments

June 25, 2011

June 24, 2011

The 7th Annual chicobangs Memorial SpoFi CFL Pick 'Em: Your solstice clock just flipped over, which means that CFL football is fast approaching! A whole summer's worth of rouges, two-and-outs, and no-yards penalties beckon on the horizon! It's our seventh season of furious pick 'em action, so please join us and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 01:41 PM - 20 comments

Ron...errrr...Metta World Peace: Ron Artest files papers to change name.

posted by NoMich to basketball at 09:48 AM - 10 comments

Diary of a Summer League Ballplayer: 70 games in 75 days in the Northwoods League. Andrew Barna, a varsity baseball player at Davidson College during the school year, is spending the summer playing first base for the Madison Mallards. The Mallards are currently a half game back of the Eau Claire Express in the Northwoods League, a summer developmental league where NCAA athletes play for room, board, the adulation of devoted Upper Midwest fans, and the slim hope of making it to the bigs. (Northwoods alums in the majors include Ian Kinsler (Mallards), Ben Zobrist (Wisconsin Woodchucks), and Juan Pierre (Manitowoc Skunks.) Barna's blog offers a look inside the real life of very-minor-league baseball: The best way to sleep on the team bus. Getting caught picking your nose on the field. Welcome back Jumpy Garcia. Signing your first breast (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:37 AM - 4 comments

June 23, 2011

Canadian Goalie Scores At U-17 World Cup: Canadian goalie Quillan Roberts scores in the 87th minute to give Canada a 2-2- tie with England, and its first ever point in the U-17 World Cup.

posted by TheQatarian to soccer at 07:05 PM - 1 comment

Flyers trade Richards to Kings, Carter to Blue Jackets, sign Bryzgalov 9 yrs/$51,000,000: In a span of just a few hours, G.M. Paul Holmgren reshaped the team in a significant, important and almost brilliant way. Richards, the team captain, had had his issues with defenceman Chris Pronger and Carter couldn’t find a role on the team, despite scoring 41 goals in the NHL only two years ago. With a centre-ice corps of Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere still in place, Holmgren had the luxury of moving two players, both signed to monstrously long contracts that had decent salary cap numbers because they are back-loaded. Carter is at $5.272-million per year, Richards at $5.75-million.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 06:29 PM - 6 comments

Foul Fells Phillie Phanatic: The Phillie Phanatic was hospitalized after getting hit by a foul ball at a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs minor league game. A foul ball hit by an Indianapolis Indians player struck Tom Burgoyne in the Phanatic's neck "the area around Burgoyne's head." He clowned around with fans afterwards but later left for the hospital.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 01:23 PM - 4 comments

June 22, 2011

UNC Accused of NCAA Violations: The University of North Carolina has received a notice alleging numerous significant violations in its football program, though none of them are tied to head coach Butch Davis. Former UNC assistant coach John Blake was secretly working for agent Gary Wichard, receiving $31,500 in pay to steer players to him for their pro careers, and seven players received more than $27,000 in improper benefits. Blake refused to provide NCAA investigators with tax records from 2005-10 or information about a $45,000 deposit in December 2007 from Wichard's bank.

posted by rcade to football at 01:03 PM - 4 comments

Chelsea appoint Villas-Boas as manager: Some punditry: Villas-Boas must rejuvenate Chelsea in a hurry. 33 years old and looks like the second coming of the Special One--can't wait to see how Special1TV plays this. Led Porto to an undefeated league season and won the Europa League with an attacking 4-3-3/3-4-3 formation. Spent Mourinho's years at Chelsea leading the opposition scouting operation and given the player holdovers knows most of them well.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:55 AM - 5 comments

June 21, 2011

The Long Autumn of Roger Federer: Now, in 2011, in his endless middle-sunset as a player, [Roger] Federer has become something mysterious, an all-time great whose career feels increasingly fragile. Brian Phillips on Federer's long autumn. DFW, five years ago, on Federer as a religious experience (previously). Riffing on DFW, Phillips on Pele as comedian (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to tennis at 12:28 PM - 1 comment

Selig quashes McCourt's Fox TV Deal for Dodgers coverage : "Mr. McCourt has been provided with an expansive analysis of my reasons for rejecting this proposed transaction. Critically, the transaction is structured to facilitate the further diversion of Dodgers assets for the personal needs of Mr. McCourt. Given the magnitude of the transaction, such a diversion of assets would have the effect of mortgaging the future of the franchise to the long-term detriment of the club and its fans."

Before the decision was made, blogger Larry Behrendt laid out in detail how the McCourts used the Dodgers as their personal piggybank.

posted by ursus_comiter to baseball at 06:39 AM - 4 comments

June 20, 2011

Top Ten Evil Sports: Doesn't include cheerleading.

posted by owlhouse to general at 09:58 PM - 16 comments

NFL player successfully sues over steroids: St. Louis Rams linebacker, David Vobora, won a $5.4 million judgment against a drug supplement that sold him tainted supplements. He was suspended 4 games by the NFL, but claimed he never used performance-enhancing drugs.

posted by bperk to football at 03:50 PM - 2 comments

Marlins Owner Keeps Making Friends: Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is upset that player Logan Morrison, one of the few bright spots on the team this season, posted on Twitter that Loria personally ordered the firing of hitting coach John Mallee. "I was asked a question, I told the truth," Morrison told the Palm Beach Post. "But I guess I don't do that anymore." Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned Sunday after the team lost 18 of the previous 19 games.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:41 AM - 1 comment

June 19, 2011

June 18, 2011

So, Cricket, Maybe?: With the NFL and NBA potentially going dark in the fall, Michael Schur and Nate DiMeo of Grantland.com decided to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match to see if it can be a suitable replacement (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to other at 12:17 PM - 17 comments

June 17, 2011

Ricky Rubio Coming to America: Spanish guard Ricky Rubio, 20, will join the Minnesota Timberwolves next season, three years after the team made him its No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft. Rubio has been playing for Barcelona, where the heralded young player lost his starting spot last season. "Ricky's skill set and feel for the game have made him one of the best young players in Europe for six years now, and at age 20 he's still a young player with a lot of upside," said Wolves president David Kahn.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:14 AM - 3 comments

Isner Will Play Mahut at Wimbledon: A year after they played the longest match in tennis history at Wimbledon, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut have drawn each other again as first-round opponents in the tournament. They play Tuesday. Isner is ranked 46 and Mahut 99. The two became friends after their epic 11-hour match. "Before Wimbledon, we'd never said one word to each other," Isner said. "Now we text each other quite often and I've got to know that he's a really class act and a really good guy."

posted by rcade to tennis at 11:09 AM - 1 comment

Tennis in San Quentin: "...it was a group of convicted felons who were perhaps the best-behaved and most ethical group of competitors I have ever witnessed."

posted by Uncle Toby to tennis at 09:43 AM - 1 comment

June 16, 2011

David Tyree: Gay Marriage Will Lead to Anarchy: Former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, a hero of Super Bowl 0x2A, has come out against gay marriage in the state. "If they pass this gay marriage bill, what I know will happen is this will be the beginning of our country sliding toward … it's a strong word, but, anarchy," Tyree said. "That will be the moment itself where our country loses its grip with what's right," he says in a new National Organization of Marriage video. "Marriage is one of those things that is the backbone of society. So if you redefine it, it changes the way we educate our children, it changes the perception of what is good, what is right, what is just."

posted by rcade to football at 10:14 AM - 58 comments

June 15, 2011

2011 Stanley Cup Pickem: Final Standings: Congrats to the Bruins and Flint, MI's own Tim Thomas. Better luck next time Nucks. Final standings inside...

posted by MeatSaber to fantasy at 11:14 PM - 6 comments

Boston Bruins win first Stanley Cup since 1972.: The Vancovuer Canucks' Cup-drought reaches 40 years.

posted by gspm to hockey at 11:00 PM - 43 comments

June 14, 2011

Why Grantland Rice Sucked: Though Grantland was created to showcase great sportswriting, its namesake Grantland Rice was spectacularly awful, Deadspin's Tommy Craggs writes. "The name of mainstream sportswriting's last best hope is an homage to so many of the bad impulses that helped snuff out mainstream sportswriting in the first place."

posted by rcade to general at 09:40 AM - 4 comments

The Armless Archer: Matt Stutzman, who was born without arms, has qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in archery. Not the Paralympics; the actual Olympics.

posted by TheQatarian to olympics at 09:07 AM - 2 comments

June 13, 2011

Man Bet Federer Would Win Wimbledon 7 Times: The good news? If Roger Federer wins a seventh Wimbledon title, the $2,336 bet you made in 2003 will pay you $156,000. The bad news? You died in 2009. Nick Newlife of Oxford, arranged in his will for the bet to be paid to the charity Oxfam.

posted by rcade to tennis at 12:08 PM - 8 comments

MLB Considering Realignment: Major League Baseball is considering realignment to give both leagues 15 teams, including a proposal to eliminate divisions and simply award playoff spots to the top five finishers in each league. A simpler change would be moving the Houston Astros to the AL West. Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports calls Houston the "only logical move."

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:29 AM - 29 comments

June 12, 2011

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are taking the NBA Championship to Dallas: As snow fell on a steamy June night, pigs suddenly grew wings and Maverick fans will wake up Tuesday and hit every green light on the way to work. It’s the 1st championship for the Mavericks, who have been in existence since 1980. It will validate the careers of Dirk Nowitzki , Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and everybody associated with the organization. It’s the first title of any kind for a Dallas sports team since the Stars won the NHL championship in 1999.

posted by tommytrump to basketball at 10:58 PM - 128 comments

Spectators Lucky to Survive Le Mans Crash: Audi driver Allan McNish crashed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race Saturday, running into a low wall that miraculously kept his car from hitting numerous spectators. See the video, especially at 2:30. "I saw the people at the side of the track and that was a lot of luck, I have to say," said McNish, who suffered minor shin and back injuries. "It made my heart stop when I saw that as well."

posted by rcade to auto racing at 11:32 AM - 11 comments

June 11, 2011

Major League Umps Settle Wiffle Ball Dispute: A disputed play during a Kalamazoo Wiffle Ball league game was settled by calling Major League umpire Bill Welke. Welke, who was about to officiate a Rockies/Padres game, put his crew on speakerphone to hear player Steve Everett's description of his home run-robbing catch, which carried him over the outfield fence right by the 82-foot sign. The call: Out!

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:58 PM - 3 comments

Canucks One Win From Hoisting Stanley Cup: The Vancouver Canucks won a 1-0 nailbiter over the Boston Bruins in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, giving them a 3-2 series lead. Max Lapierre scored the only goal in the third. NESN broadcaster and former NHL exec Mike Millbury called the Sedin twins "Thelma and Louise" during Boston's game 4 broadcast, drawing this response from their teammate Cory Schneider: "Who cares what he thinks? If he'd been their general manager he would have traded them in their first year, anyway, like he did with everyone else."

posted by rcade to hockey at 10:37 AM - 11 comments

Pitch Invaders: Loathed by players but loved by fans. Some employ costumes. Some are dogs. (dog gets a little rough treatment in the beginning but is unharmed and seemingly no worse for the wear) Wheelchair friendly! Sometimes an invader is a beach ball. Then there is Karl Power, and Jimmy Jump. Jimmy has had quite the career but Karl has a song written about him. And sometimes you get an autograph. (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to soccer at 10:25 AM - 1 comment

June 10, 2011

Charlie Pierce Remebers The National: Not to jam the place up with Grantland pieces, but this is a good one.

posted by yerfatma to culture at 03:44 PM - 5 comments

Dwyane Wade: My Life as a Single Dad: Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade has written a commentary for Newsweek about his life as a single dad after being granted full custody of his two sons. "Not too long ago, due to custody issues, I wasn't allowed to see my sons for long periods of time, or was given the chance to see them for only a few hours with no idea of if or when I’d see them again," he writes. "[S]ince my sons came to live with me about two months ago, every day has been like Father's Day."

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:46 PM - 31 comments

Is This Really Tim Tebow?: A photo, allegedly taken at a golf event, claims to actually be Tim Tebow taking a swing. Seems the lockout hasn't been keeping Tim from working out.

posted by dyams to football at 02:36 PM - 1 comment

Mavs Win Game 5 in Shootout: Shooting 56.5 percent for the game, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 in game 5 of the NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki scored 29, Jason Terry 21 and three other players were in double digits. LeBron James bounced back from game 4 with a triple-double: 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dwyane Wade suffered a first quarter hip contusion that kept him out of part of the game in the locker room.

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:04 AM - 35 comments

June 09, 2011

Choking Again??: The unbeatable team finally due to win their cup after years of playoff collapse are at it again. The team with more skill has been badly out player by the team with more heart. With Luongo playing poorly and Hamhuis out, do they have what it takes to bounce back as the series heads back to Canada.

posted by Debo270 to hockey at 09:35 AM - 29 comments

June 08, 2011

Rangers Draft Paralyzed Outfielder: In the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball draft, the Texas Rangers chose Jonathan Taylor, a University of Georgia outfielder who was paralyzed after an outfield collision in March. The team used an earlier second round pick on Taylor's teammate Zach Cone, who was involved in the accident.

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:58 PM - 8 comments

Popeye Jones' Son Is A Rising Star, But Not In Basketball: Hockey? To Popeye Jones this had to be a phase. His sons wanted to play hockey? At first he smiled when the subject came up after he returned home from an NBA season away. Didn't basketball players' kids want to be basketball players too?

posted by BornIcon to hockey at 02:17 PM - 7 comments

A Matchup for the Ages: "They first met on July 15, 1996 at Fenway Park . . . Every other player who got in that game has retired . . . Yankees manager Joe Girardi pinch hit in that game."

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 11:39 AM - 7 comments

LeBron Flops, Mavs Even Series: Battling the Heat and a fever, Dirk Nowitzki scored the winning basket in the Dallas Mavericks 86-83 victory over the Miami Heat in game 4 of the NBA Finals. Nowitzki shot poorly but had 11 rebounds and Mavericks center Tyson Chandler had 16. LeBron James flopped in the first quarter and was held to just eight points, his first single-digit playoff scoring performance.

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:01 AM - 34 comments

Woods to miss US Open: "It's time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future. I was hopeful that I could play but, if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and achilles tendon are not fully healed. It's been a frustrating and difficult year but I'm committed to my long-term health. I will be back playing when I can."

posted by JJ to golf at 05:25 AM - 8 comments

June 07, 2011

And so he leaves...: Terrelle Pryor is leaving Ohio State.

posted by Bonkers to football at 06:22 PM - 19 comments

Bruins' Horton Out for Finals: Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton will miss the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals with a severe concussion after taking a blindside hit from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome during the team's 8-1 victory in game 3 Monday night.

posted by rcade to hockey at 06:00 PM - 26 comments

Bryce Harper Homers, Blows Kiss to Pitcher: Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper blew a kiss to the opposing pitcher after hitting a home run in a minor league game last night. Harper's playing for the Class A Hagerstown Suns and is batting .342 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI. Greensboro Grasshoppers pitcher Zach Neal said something about Harper's slow home run trot and Harper responded with the kiss. Though Craig Calcaterra of Yahoo Sports thinks that Harper needs to grow up, blogger Ted Berg loves it: "Admire your moonshots. Maintain that godawful mustache. And maybe armor up a bit. The baseball world needs bad guys."

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:45 PM - 38 comments

Golden State's future looking bright with the addition of Jackson: Mark Jackson was hired as the Warriors head coach on Monday, thereby ending his commentating career that was always long on catchphrases and short on self-fulfillment.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 07:26 AM - 5 comments

June 06, 2011

Plaxico Burress Released from Prison: Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was released from prison on Monday after spending nearly two years behind bars for shooting himself in the thigh. He pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in 2009 over carrying the unlicensed handgun in New York. Now 34, Burress has drawn interest from the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams.

posted by rcade to football at 03:29 PM - 4 comments

Pistons Fire Coach John Kuester: Four days after new ownership took control of the Detroit Pistons, the team fired coach John Kuester. A former Cleveland Cavaliers and Pistons assistant, Kuester was 57-107 in two seasons with the Pistons.

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:12 PM - 3 comments

Bosh Bucket Puts Heat Past Mavs: Playing with an injured eye, Dallas native Chris Bosh made a go-ahead jumper with 39.6 seconds left to put the Miami Heat over the Dallas Mavericks 88-86 for a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals. "We'll spit on it and patch it up later," Bosh said of his eye after the game.

posted by rcade to basketball at 07:10 AM - 15 comments

June 05, 2011

Rutgers Coach Wants to Replace Kickoffs: To improve player safety and reduce injuries like the one that paralyzed his player Eric LeGrand in 2010, Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano wants to replace kickoffs. The scoring team would get the ball at its own 30 yard line on a 4th and 15 and could choose to punt or go for it. "It would lead to much less impact and fewer collisions, but it would still be a way to get the game started in similar field position," he said. "I don't think we'd lose that much, and we'd gain a bunch for the welfare of the players."

posted by rcade to football at 12:44 PM - 8 comments

Burrows Bites Bruins 11 Seconds into OT: Eleven seconds was all it took for Alex Burrows to score an overtime goal, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins and a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

posted by rcade to hockey at 07:28 AM - 14 comments

June 04, 2011

Little Leaguer Dies After Being Hit by Pitch: A 13-year-old Little League baseball player in Winslow, Ariz., died after being hit by a pitch during a game Tuesday. Hayden Walton was hit while trying to bunt. He took two steps towards first base and collapsed, then died a day later at a local hospital.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:41 PM - 4 comments

Winnipeg Sells 13,000 Season Tickets in 17 Minutes: Only 17 minutes after they went on sale to the public, Winnipeg reached its goal of 13,000 season ticket sales for its NHL franchise. Manitoba Moose season ticket holders bought 7,100 in an early-sale program and the rest disappeared quickly. The team's owners bought the Atlanta Thrashers this week.

posted by rcade to hockey at 02:21 PM - 8 comments

June 03, 2011

Giants GM Bitter About Cousins: San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean continues to complain about the home plate collision by Florida Marlins player Scott Cousins that seriously injured Giants catcher Buster Posey. "If I never hear from Cousins again or he never plays another game in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy," Sabean said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:26 PM - 30 comments

Mavs Comeback Stuns Heat in Game 2: In a postseason filled with last-minute comebacks, the Dallas Mavericks erased a 15-point deficit with 7:15 left to beat the Miami Heat 95-93. Dirk Nowitzki scored the last nine points for the Mavs, including a layup with 3.6 seconds left. It was the Heat's first home loss in the playoffs.

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:41 AM - 36 comments

June 02, 2011

Dice-K Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will have Tommy John surgery to fix a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and be out a year, a "baseball source" told ESPN Boston. Dice-K, who is in the fifth year of a six-year $103 million contract, won 33 games for the Red Sox his first two seasons but only 16 since.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:02 AM - 6 comments

Last-Second Goal Wins Game 1 for Canucks: Raffi Torres scored on an exceptional pass from Jannik Hansen with 18.5 seconds to play, putting the Vancouver Canucks over the Boston Bruins 1-0 in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday night. A third-line wing, Torres is the only Vancouver player with previous Finals experience.

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:47 AM - 19 comments

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s nasty open letter to Scottie Pippen: It's a tricky situation, navigating all these barroom hypothetical arguments about who's done what and who was the best at whatever. But there are some things people are missing, when it comes to Scottie Pippen's continued annihilation of the 2010-11 Chicago Bulls, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's patronizing tsk-tsk'ing of Pippen after the former Bull dared compare LeBron James' potential legacy to that of Michael Jordan's.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 08:09 AM - 9 comments

June 01, 2011

Shaq Announces His Retirement: NBA center Shaquille "Shaq / Diesel / Big Aristotle / Big Cactus / Big Witness / Superman / Big Agave / Big Cactus / Big Shaqtus / Big Galactus / Wilt Chamberneezy / Big Baryshnikov / Real Deal / Dr. Shaq / Shaqovic / Last Center Left / Shaq Albert / Big Deporter / Osama bin Shaq / Big Shamrock" O'Neal announced to his Twitter followers Wednesday that he was retiring after 19 years. At 7-1 and 325 pounds, Shaq made a huge impact on the league. He was the MVP in 1999-2000, a 15-time All Star and played on champions three times with the Los Angeles Lakers and once with the Miami Heat. He also plays a little girl on the Internet.

posted by rcade to basketball at 07:52 PM - 20 comments

Final EPL Fantasy standings: Holden is our winner! Congrats.

posted by tselson to fantasy at 05:36 PM - 7 comments

Erik Spoelstra is Batman?: Extensive profile from ESPN on the man who may be the least-hated man associated with the Miami Heat, head coach Erik Spoelstra. Tells the full story of Spoelstra's rise from the video room to the NBA Finals.

posted by boredom_08 to basketball at 03:02 PM - 0 comments

Blatter set for re-election, vows reform : FIFA president Sepp Blatter was set to be re-elected as head of world football on Wednesday after attempts to force a postponement of the scandal-tainted ballot ended in a crushing defeat.

posted by gfinsf to soccer at 08:05 AM - 7 comments

Heat Win Game 1 as Dirk Injures Finger: The Miami Heat opened the NBA Finals with a 92-84 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James scored 24 points for his first win in five finals-game appearances and Dwyane Wade scored 22 with 10 rebounds and six assists. Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 for the Mavericks but injured a finger on his non-shooting hand. The Heat outrebounded the Mavs by 10 and their bench outscored them by 10.

posted by rcade to basketball at 07:22 AM - 8 comments

And our newest member, Joey Bats.:
MLB shows a little love (and some humour) for Jose Bautista.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 12:28 AM - 1 comment